The Phantom of the Valley
by HorrorFan6
Summary: A young stallion named Raoul, having been reunited with his childhood friend Christine, must find a way to save the mare he loves from the clutches of a mysterious creature known as the Phantom of the Valley. A short retelling of Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera" with horses. Includes some elements from the musical.


The Phantom of the Valley

 **A/N: So…explanation time. A few years ago, I started a collection of stories that were retellings of classic tales from literature, all featuring horses as the main characters. They were mostly fairy tales, but I did include some other works as well. In the end, the concept for the book changed, and all stories that were not based on fairy tales were removed from the anthology. One story that was removed is a retelling of my all-time favorite book, Gaston Leroux's** _ **The Phantom of the Opera**_ **. I'm posting it here because I have recently decided to try reviving this project, this time as a full-length novel aimed at a young audience. I'm hoping the feedback I get from this short story will help me in the novel's construction with certain details, so please, I beg you, leave some constructive feedback in the reviews! I really want this book to be the best it can be, and since it's based on a novel so dear to my heart, I want to know without a doubt that I'm doing it justice. But even with all that aside, I hope you enjoy this little story.**

 **Based on** _ **The Phantom of the Opera**_ **by Gaston Leroux, although it also draws rather heavily from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name as well.**

Armand's small herd was in the midst of a celebration. The young bay stallion watched over his mares with joy and pride as they danced and sang, their voices ringing in the evening air and echoing off the trees around the clearing they called home, their steps lithe and graceful. Beside him, his lead mare Giry observed the harem with a sharp, attentive eye. She'd been in this herd her entire life, and she'd been lead mare for longer than anyone else could remember. She was tall, thin, and gray in color, with steely eyes that missed no detail.

At the moment, her watchful gaze was fixed on two mares in particular. One of them, a pretty young appaloosa named Carlotta, was the center of attention, which was a place she thoroughly enjoyed taking. She was singing louder than any other horse, and her beautiful voice carried throughout their entire valley home. She could reach notes that other mares could only dream of hitting, and indeed she was being watched with many envious gazes.

The other mare Giry was watching was a beautiful three-year-old chestnut mare named Christine, who was among those watching Carlotta perform. Beside her was Meg, Giry's daughter and Christine's dear friend. "Go on," she was whispering to the chestnut. "You've got an amazing voice! Show them!"

"No!" Christine hissed back, mortified at the prospect. "I couldn't possibly…!"

"Christine, I've heard you practicing!" Meg interrupted. "I know you can sing. I'll say you're even better than Carlotta! So go ahead, join her! Sing, Christine, sing!"

Christine was just about to refuse again when another voice reached her ears: "Sing, Christine. Sing for me!"

She looked around, but no one else was around her. "Did you hear that?" she asked Meg.

Meg frowned. "Hear what?"

Christine stared into the nearby trees, trying and failing to make out anything unusual. "Never mind," she muttered.

"Sing for me, Christine," she heard the voice say again. "Sing!"

Christine took a deep breath and began to sing. Almost at once, the entire clearing went deathly quiet, each and every head turning to look at her in shock and admiration. Carlotta's face contorted in fury, but Christine ignored her, allowing the song to flow from her, pouring from her very heart and soul.

When she finished, the others continued to stare at her for a moment. Then they all converged on her. "That was beautiful, Christine!" said one.

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" asked another.

"Who taught you?" demanded a third.

Christine was rather overwhelmed and couldn't figure out who to answer first, so she didn't answer at all. She just smiled shyly and looked around at Giry, who hadn't moved. The older mare smiled warmly and nodded once. Blushing a little, Christine lowered her gaze to the grass at her feet.

"Christine? Is that you?"

The young mare looked around to see a paint stallion approaching her. Armand stiffened suspiciously and started forward, but before he could reach the newcomer, Christine cried, "Raoul! Oh my gosh, Raoul!" and ran forward to meet him. She nuzzled him excitedly and said, "Oh Raoul, it's so good to see you again!"

"It's great to see you too, Christine," replied Raoul, returning her nuzzlings with a broad smile on his face. "It's been so long since we last met."

Armand stepped up to them. "I am Armand, leader of this herd," he said. "Who are you, and what is your business here?"

Raoul bowed in respect. "My name is Raoul," he said warmly. "I have been traveling on my own for some time now, looking for a herd to join. Christine and I are old friends." He smiled at the young mare. "We grew up in the same herd."

Armand visibly relaxed. "I see. Well, you are welcome here, Raoul. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you," the paint replied. And as Armand walked away, he turned back to Christine and asked, "How have you been? And how is your father?"

Christine's smile faded. "Daddy died a few months ago," she replied quietly.

"Oh…oh no," Raoul murmured. "I'm so sorry, Christine."

"It's all right," Christine replied, trying to hitch her smile back into place. "I still feel him with me when I think I'm alone. It's…quite a comfort."

Raoul grinned but could think of nothing to say. He was spared the necessity by one of the mares, who chose that moment to say, "Christine, dear, would you sing for us again? That was marvelous!"

Christine blushed but smiled, nodding and repeating her song. Everyone listened, entranced at the sound of the beautiful mare's voice. Only Carlotta seemed upset by the young horse's vocal talent; her face was set in a frown, and she did not congratulate her when she had finished.

"I'll bet her father taught her to sing like that," confided one of the mares to a friend of hers. Raoul couldn't help but overhear her. "He was an amazing singer himself when he was alive."

"Maybe," said her companion. "Though I've heard her tell Meg that she's being taught by an 'Angel of Music.' I wonder what that means…"

Raoul frowned. Angel of Music? What on earth…?

The voice of Carlotta interrupted his thoughts. The jealous prima donna had taken up her song, glaring angrily at Christine, who shrank back in surprise. Carlotta's voice now echoed through the valley as Christine's had moments before, but it didn't seem to fill the others with the same sense of awe and wonder as the younger mare's did.

And then, so suddenly that no one knew exactly how it happened, a large tree branch broke free from one of the trunks around them and plummeted to the earth, landing only a few feet in front of Carlotta. The mare's song ended abruptly as she screamed in terror, and complete silence fell. Everyone stared down at the branch in fear, and a few looked furtively around.

"It is he!" whispered one of the mares behind Raoul. "It is the Phantom!"

Hearing this, Armand snorted. "Oh for the love of…!" He shook his head. "It simply broke away from the tree! There's a perfectly logical explanation; we don't need to jump to a supernatural one."

"No!" the mare said, sounding close to hysteria. "It is the Phantom! He is displeased!"

"There is no Phantom!" Armand snapped, becoming angrier by the moment. "I have told you all this before!"

"Armand," Giry said calmly, "you have not been here long enough to experience these things."

"What things?" Armand demanded. "Tree branches falling? Strange sounds in the night? Mysterious singing? All of these things can be explained, Giry."

The old gray mare didn't falter. "There is much about this valley that you don't yet understand, Armand," she said quietly. "And I suggest you keep an open mind."

And before Armand could retort, she walked away to where her daughter Meg stood trembling.

Thoroughly confused, Raoul looked around at one of the mares. "Excuse me, but what are they talking about?"

The mare looked up at him in surprise. "The Phantom of the Valley!" she replied. "He is the spirit of a hideous stallion that haunts this area. Sometimes, we hear strange noises in the night, and if he is displeased…" She glanced at the fallen branch. "…strange things happen. Bad things."

She refused to say another word about it. Raoul frowned and turned to look at Christine. He was shocked to see that she wasn't standing where he'd last seen her. In fact, a swift glance around the clearing confirmed that she wasn't anywhere around him. "Christine?" he called. "Christine!"

…

The moment the branch had fallen and the heated argument over the Phantom had begun, Christine slipped silently into the woods around the clearing, heading to a small gap in the trees that only she and one other knew of. There, she stood silently, waiting…

And then at last, she heard the voice. "You have returned."

Christine looked around in the direction the voice had come from and could barely make out the vague outline of a horse in the darkness of the forest. "Yes, Angel," she replied, smiling. "I told you I would. I wish to continue to learn from you."

The figure didn't answer right away. It seemed to be studying her intently. Finally, it said, "You will be a great singer someday, Christine. You already far surpass that pompous Carlotta."

"Was…was it you that brought down that branch?" Christine asked, unable to completely keep a trace of fear from her voice.

Again the shape hesitated. "Her singing was most irritating," it finally said. "You, my dear, are far better and deserve the chance to shine."

Christine bowed her head, accepting the compliment.

"Who was the colt?" the voice asked. "The paint?"

"That was Raoul," Christine replied. "We grew up in the same herd. He's my dearest friend."

The other horse did not say anything for such a long time afterward that Christine started to worry that he'd left. Then he said suddenly, "Come to me. Follow the sound of my voice and come to me."

Christine froze, unsure of what to do.

"I promise I will not harm you," he added. "Come, Christine. Come to your Angel of Music."

Christine nodded and began walking through the trees toward the sound of the voice. Ahead of her, the other horse was moving away, his figure still shrouded in darkness. "Where are you taking me?" Christine asked, but the other did not answer. He simply led her deeper and deeper into the forest.

And then suddenly the trees thinned out, revealing a great stone wall covered in dangling vines that trailed on the ground. Christine paused, uncertain, but the other horse continued to walk purposefully toward it. The next second, he had vanished completely. Christine blinked, confused and a little frightened.

"Come, Christine!" the voice said, and there was a slight echo behind it. "Walk to the vines. The wall is not solid; it's just an illusion. Come to me, my Angel."

Christine took a deep breath and stepped up to the stone wall. She pressed her muzzle experimentally into the vines and was surprised to find that they yielded to her touch. Beyond them, where she had assumed she'd meet a blank stone slate, she instead found the opening to a cave, concealed by the foliage covering it. Surprised and a little excited, she stepped inside.

She almost collided with her mysterious companion. She blinked and squinted, trying to discern the details of his body and face in the dark.

Realizing this, the horse drew back into the deeper blackness of the cave. "No," he said sharply. "You mustn't see my face."

Christine frowned. "You're the Phantom, aren't you?" she asked, and she didn't sound afraid. "The Phantom of the Valley."

The horse seemed to observe her for a moment. He eventually replied, "I have gone by many names, Christine. The Phantom of the Valley, Angel of Music, monster…" He paused. "But my first name was Erik."

"Then I will call you Erik as well," Christine replied, smiling.

Though she couldn't be sure due to the darkness, she rather thought Erik seemed to relax. "Sing for me, Christine," he breathed. "Please, sing for me."

Christine nodded her head and obeyed, singing the same song she'd performed for the other mares only an hour ago. As the notes flowed from her throat, the Phantom swayed slightly, as if entranced.

The song was interrupted when Christine yawned.

"My dear, you must be exhausted!" Erik said. "Come here. I have prepared a place for you to sleep."

He led her to a pile of dried grass that had been laid on the stone floor of the cave, providing a cushion of sorts. "Rest well, Christine," Erik said.

"Good night," Christine replied, reaching up to nuzzle Erik, but the stallion shrank back at once, and without offering an explanation, he retreated back toward the cave mouth. Christine frowned but was too tired to give this oddity much thought. She shrugged and settled down comfortably on the bedding the Phantom had prepared for her, and a few minutes later, she was fast asleep.

…

When Christine awoke the next morning, she didn't immediately remember where she was or how she had gotten there. She raised her head and looked around warily, frowning slightly. Then the memory of meeting Erik returned, and she smiled, standing up and shaking herself free of the grass that clung to her coat.

The cave was dimly lit; sunlight was coming in through the gaps between the vines covering the entrance. Not far away was Erik, reclining on the stone floor, still asleep. She began walking over to him and paused, examining what little of his body she could see. He was black in color and had a long, thick tail that cascaded onto the rocky floor of the cave. His body was sleek and trim, and his shoulders and haunches looked powerful. His face was still hidden in shadow, and she couldn't make it out.

Christine frowned. Why didn't he want her to see his face? Did he perhaps fear being recognized?

She looked around at the vines, and an idea entered her head. She tiptoed over to the mouth of the cave, took some of the greenery in her teeth, and pulled back.

The sunlight hit Erik's face, throwing it into sharp relief and waking him up. Both horses screamed at the same time, the Phantom in rage, Christine in terror.

The stallion's face wasn't black like the rest of his body. It was pure white, but it was the ugliest face a horse has ever possessed. The skin was stretched tight across the skull, and the eyes were sunken in their sockets. The right side of his face was a twisted, contorted mass of flesh, and his right eye was shadowed by a huge lump protruding from the flesh directly above it so that, at first glance, the eye appeared to be missing entirely.

Christine whimpered, dropping the vines and scurrying backward into the daylight. Erik followed her, his hellish face contorted in fury. "Go on!" he shouted. "Look at it! Look! Feast your eyes and glut your soul on my cursed ugliness!" Christine shook her head and refused to look at the Phantom. "What's wrong?" he sneered. "You wanted to see, didn't you? Well then look! Go ahead, you wicked mare, LOOK!"

Erik thrust his face down so that it filled the mare's vision, and Christine sobbed, clenching her eyes shut against the horrible sight.

"You fool!" the Phantom cried. "Now you can't ever be free! Whenever you hear my voice or see my shadow, you will think of this face and be filled with horror! Oh Christine…!" the stallion finally looked away, turning his body so that his side was facing the terrified mare. "Why, Christine? Why did you insist on seeing?"

"I…I…" Christine stammered. "I…I'm sorry, Erik. I didn't mean to…I…I didn't know…"

Erik turned to face her again, and Christine flinched, averting her eyes. "You realize that you can never leave now, don't you?" he asked quietly. "You have seen my face, and the horror of it would prevent you from returning to me if I released you. No one who's ever seen my face remains. My father never even met me, and my mother abandoned me when I was just a foal. If I let you go, you won't return. This hideous face of mine would drive you away forever. So you will stay here with me. Forever."

"No!" Christine cried. "Erik, please! I…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. Please, let me go back to my herd. I promise I'll return, I swear upon my life! Please, Erik, please…please…"

She trailed off and lowered her head. The Phantom pondered her for a moment, considering her, sizing her up. At length, he said, "Very well. You may return to your herd. But you are to return to me tonight, after the sun has set. And be warned, Christine: if you fail to return to me, you will be responsible for any…misfortune that may occur."

Christine felt a chill run down her spine, but she nodded her assent. She said, "Thank you, Erik," and turned to go.

"One more thing, Christine," Erik said, and the mare paused. "That colt, Raoul…you are not to see him again. Tell him whatever story you must, but stay away from him afterward. You belong to me now."

Christine was certain she could feel her heart breaking, but she nodded and walked away, leaving Erik to stare after her, his ugly face unreadable.

She made it back to the clearing her herd called home in a few minutes' time. She hadn't been there for three seconds before there came a cry of "Christine!" and Raoul came galloping toward her. Her heart sank, but she took a deep breath, prepared to do whatever she had to in order to keep this stallion safe from the Phantom's rage.

"Where on earth have you been?" Raoul sighed, nuzzling and caressing her lovingly. "I searched all over the valley for you last night but couldn't find you anywhere!"

"I was…I wanted to be alone, Raoul," Christine replied stiffly.

Noticing her tone, the paint stallion drew back, frowning in confusion. "Christine?" he asked. "Are you all right? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Christine chose to ignore this remark. "I'm fine, Raoul," she said, and she stepped around him, heading to where Giry stood, watching her with a concerned frown on her face.

Raoul, not so easily deterred, blocked her path. "Christine, whatever it is, you can tell me," he said. "You're the best friend I've ever had. Any secrets you need to share are safe with me."

Christine struggled to keep her emotions in check. "Raoul, I…I…"

Raoul didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish.

Christine threw caution to the winds. "I was with the Angel of Music last night."

Raoul blinked. "The Angel of Music?" he repeated blankly.

"Yes," Christine confirmed, and she decided to tell him the truth. Or part of it, anyway. "Before my father died, he told me he would send an angel to me from heaven. This angel would be both companion and instructor. It is he who has been teaching me to sing, and last night I was with him. He is very possessive, Raoul, and I am his mare. I…I cannot see you anymore." Her voice wavered on this last sentence.

Raoul stared at her in shock, and he rather thought his heart was breaking. "But…but Christine…"

"No, Raoul," she interrupted. She wasn't sure she could keep her resolve together if this conversation continued for much longer. "I'm sorry…" And she really was, he could tell. "…but this is how it has to be."

And with that, she walked away, her head lowered sadly. Raoul watched her go, feeling as though his entire world was crumbling around him.

…

That night, as the sun began to set, Christine slipped away from the herd. Raoul, who had been unable to stop himself from thinking about her all day, noticed her stealthy departure and, glancing around once to make sure no one was watching him, followed her. He made sure he was far enough back so that she wouldn't see him if she turned around, but this precaution also made it difficult for him to keep her within his sights.

Then she vanished between two thick-trunked oaks. When Raoul came to the spot, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Christine?" he called, abandoning all pretense. "Christine!"

…

In the Phantom's cave, Christine found Erik waiting for her. "You returned," he said, sounding a little surprised.

"Yes," she replied. "I said I would."

Erik didn't reply for a moment. He simply observed her silently. Then he asked, "And Raoul?"

"I told him that he couldn't see me anymore," Christine answered, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Erik smiled and nodded his ugly head, but his smile vanished almost at once.

"Christine! Christine, where are you!?"

Christine whipped her head in the direction of the cave mouth, her heart constricting in terror. Raoul was just outside the Phantom's hideout. If he found the opening, if he made it inside…

She held her breath, watching Erik, whose ears were pinned back and teeth bared in malice. She knew that if Raoul found them, Erik would attack with every intention of killing the intruder.

They waited in absolute silence. Raoul stood outside the cave mouth for several minutes, turning his head this way and that, straining his ears to pick up any sound that might lead him to Christine.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he walked away. Christine let out a long, soft sigh and turned to face Erik, who relaxed but did not smile. "I swear, I told him to stay away," she whispered.

"You must tell him again," Erik commanded. "Make him see that you are not interested in his advances. Break his heart if you have to. You are my mare now, Christine, and if he intervenes, I will kill him."

Christine felt a lump rise in her throat, making her unable to speak. She simply nodded, which seemed to satisfy the Phantom.

"Good," he said. "Now, sing for me, Christine. Sing for me."

…

When Christine returned to the herd the next morning, the first thing she did was march up to Raoul and say, "I told you to leave me alone. How dare you follow me into the woods last night!"

Raoul looked a little embarrassed but didn't back down. "I wanted to know what stallion has stolen you from me," he said.

"Stolen me?" Christine repeated angrily. "I do not belong to you, Raoul. I never did. You cannot just claim me, no matter how much you care for me or how close we were as foals. If you had run into Erik…"

"Erik?" Raoul interrupted sharply. "So Erik is the name of your Angel?"

Christine flushed in anger and fear at her slipup. "Stay away, Raoul," she said coldly. "Just stay away. I do not belong to you, and I never will, so stop trying to win me. Do not follow me anymore, and just leave me alone."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Raoul to stare silently after her.

…

For the next week, things fell into a pattern: every evening at sunset, Christine would steal away into the woods to join Erik in his cave, where she would sing for the hideous stallion and rest for the night. The next morning, she would return to the clearing and act like nothing had changed. Raoul never attempted to follow her or speak to her after their confrontation, though her disappearances continued to bother him. As for Armand, his mind was put at ease by Giry, who explained that Christine preferred to spend her evenings alone. As the lead stallion had not overheard the argument between Raoul and Christine, he accepted the old mare's story without question and never looked deeper into it. None of the other mares seemed perturbed by these events either, leaving Raoul completely alone in his worried silence.

After her seventh night in the Phantom's cave, Erik said to Christine, "I will now permit you to stay with your herd overnight. I trust you will remember what I've said and will return to me when I call for you."

Christine nodded. "Yes, Erik. I understand."

Erik smiled down at her, and Christine met his gaze without flinching. She had become accustomed to his ugly visage, and it no longer frightened her to look upon his disfigurement.

It so happened that Erik's allowance for her to remain with the herd fell on the night of a celebration the herd always hosted at this time of year to celebrate the coming of summer. This celebration was always filled with much laughing, dancing, and singing, and Erik had on multiple occasions hinted that he would very much like to hear Christine make her beautiful music on this night. So it was that, at the urging of some of the mares, she opened her mouth and allowed her song to spill from her heart and soul.

The entire clearing went quiet at the sound of her voice. Every mare watched her in awe and delight (except Carlotta, who still disliked being outdone), and Armand was positively delighted. Giry observed the young mare with a small, knowing smile on her face. But Raoul watched from a distance, the only horse besides Carlotta to not smile or express delight over the chestnut's singing. Indeed, he wondered if he'd ever be able to smile again. Listening to her now, he was almost certain he could feel his heart breaking.

Suddenly, Carlotta, who'd evidently heard enough, stepped forward and began to belt out her own song, her loud voice overriding Christine's. The other mare fell silent in surprise but listened to her rival without complaint, content to simply let Carlotta sing.

But someone else wasn't content at all.

"Silence!" roared a voice that made Raoul jump in fright. Carlotta stopped singing and looked wildly around. All the mares began whispering to themselves, and Raoul heard the phrase "It's the Phantom!" multiple times.

"Who's there!?" Armand shouted, his ears pinned back in fury. "Show yourself!"

The voice – Erik's voice – laughed. It seemed to be coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"Let Christine sing!" he said. "Only Christine! You keep your trap shut, you old toad!"

Carlotta flushed in rage. "I do not have to listen to you!" she replied, her voice shaking from a combination of anger and terror.

"No?" the Phantom asked, sounding amused.

Carlotta shook her head and opened her mouth, allowing her song to flow again.

But as her voice climbed to a higher pitch, she suddenly let out a croak. "Co-ack!"

The clearing fell deathly silent. Every single horse stared at the prima donna in shock as the mare's eyes flew open in horror.

The Phantom laughed cruelly. "What's the matter? Got a frog in your throat?"

Carlotta, blushing furiously, tried again, but as her voice reached that same note, she croaked again. "Co-ack!"

One of the mares snorted and quickly tried to stifle her laughter. Soon, some of the others had followed suit until half the herd was chuckling and giggling at the mare's inability to sing. Carlotta looked wildly around, now too terrified and humiliated to even get out a note without croaking.

"Sing, Christine!" the Phantom commanded. "Sing!"

Christine obeyed, resuming her song. But she no longer smiled. Carlotta's croaking had unnerved her, and she couldn't quite still her voice's trembling.

Meanwhile, unseen by any, a two-year-old colt was looking suspiciously around the clearing, trying to find the source of the booming voice. He frowned; there was a section of the gloom between the trees that was darker than the surrounding darkness….

In the middle of the song, Christine was interrupted by a scream of terror and pain. Her voice faltered as everyone whirled around to face the edge of the clearing. "What was that?" one of the mares asked shrilly.

Armand trotted over to the edge of the clearing, ears perked and muscles tense. He suddenly froze, looking down at a shapeless form on the ground. "It's Joseph!" he called back to the mares. "He…he's been killed!"

Absolute pandemonium erupted. The mares all bunched together and crowded around the colt's bloody corpse, each speaking or screaming loudly and looking around wildly for the responsible party, who, of course, was nowhere to be seen.

Raoul, who had observed all these things in silence, was suddenly aware of Christine, who was standing right beside him. "Raoul, I need to talk to you, right now," she said urgently, and her eyes were filled with fear.

Raoul nodded and led her away from the rest of the herd, into the trees on the opposite end of the clearing. "Okay, Christine," he said, turning to face her. "What is it? What's going on?"

"Raoul…oh Raoul…" Christine moaned. "Joseph…he was killed by the Phantom!"

"The Phantom?" Raoul repeated. "Christine, the Phantom doesn't exist…"

"He does, Raoul!" Christine cried. "He's the Angel of Music! Erik! That was his voice we all heard! It was he that somehow made Carlotta's voice give out. It's he that has been keeping me in his cave for the last week!"

Raoul stared at her in silent shock. "But…then he…"

"He's the one who has been teaching me to sing," Christine continued. "But…Raoul, he wants more from me now. He wants me to be his mate. He wants me to spend the rest of my life with him."

Raoul stared down at her, and Christine took advantage of his silence to explain, "He took me to his cave a week ago, and while I was there, I saw his face. Oh Raoul…it is the most hideous face I've ever seen in my life! He said that I couldn't leave now that I'd seen him, and he claimed me on the spot. I promised I would continue to return to him so that I could come back to the herd. He also made me tell you that I couldn't be with you because I belonged to him."

Rage filled Raoul's heart as she spoke. "No!" he snarled. "He can't have you! That…that monster! I'll get him for this! I'll get him for everything he's done to you!"

"Raoul, no!" Christine said imploringly. "You mustn't seek revenge! Erik is crafty; he would kill you without a second thought! I wouldn't be able to bear it if you died by his hooves!" She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "I love you, Raoul. I love you, I've always loved you. Oh, it took every ounce of resolve to tell you to stay away from me when all I wanted to do was stay by your side!"

Raoul moaned, feeling his heart swell with joy, and he nuzzled her passionately. "I love you, Christine," he replied. "I love you so much. This beast…he will not get away for all he's done!"

"Raoul, please, you can't!" Christine said, stepping back and shaking her head.

Raoul frowned at her. "You…you can't mean you actually have feelings for him!" he said.

"Of course not!" Christine snapped. "I do not love him, Raoul. Nor do I hate him."

"Then what do you feel?" Raoul asked, bewildered.

Christine sighed. "Horror," she replied. "Raoul, he terrifies me. I never know if I'm completely safe when I'm around him. He's so unpredictable, like he could fly into a rage over nothing so that I'm constantly on guard. And yet…" She hesitated. "…I also pity him."

"Pity him?" Raoul repeated incredulously.

"Yes," Christine said. "I feel sorry for him. He can't help that he's deformed, nor can he help that he's been mistreated all his life because of how he looks. So yes, I pity him. But I do not love him." She moaned and pressed her head into Raoul's chest. "What am I going to do?" she whimpered. "I can't tell him this, he'd be furious. But I can't spend the rest of my life with him!"

"Shh…" Raoul said soothingly. "You won't have to. We'll leave this clearing, Christine. You and I will leave here, and we'll leave Erik far behind us."

"W-what?" Christine stammered, looking back up at him.

"Tomorrow night, you and I will leave the herd to start one of our own," Raoul said. "By the time Erik realizes you are gone, we will be far away, and he won't ever be able to bother you again. It will be just you and me."

Christine blinked once and then smiled. "And we'll be together," she added.

"Yes," Raoul replied, nuzzling her. "Together."

They stood there for a moment longer, simply reveling in their love and joy at the thought of being able to escape the Phantom's clutches.

At length, Raoul said, "Come on, we'd better explain to Armand and Giry what's going on. I don't want Armand to think I'm stealing you away."

Christine laughed softly and nodded, and the two horses returned to the clearing.

Neither of them saw the dark shape of a stallion lurking in the trees, listening to their every word. His ugly face was contorted in fury and pain, and as the young couple left his sight, he threw his head back and roared into the silent evening.

…

Armand and Giry both wished Raoul and Christine every happiness in the world when they were told the news of their departure. The mood in the herd was rather somber following Joseph's brutal death, but Armand insisted that giving a farewell celebration to the young couple was just what everyone needed to boost their spirits. And so it was that, the next night, the herd again gathered in song and dance. "I refuse to be intimidated by this Phantom character," Armand had said to Giry when she'd expressed concerns over this event. "I am the leader of this herd, not him, so he can back off and leave us alone."

Giry shook her head but didn't reply.

The celebration seemed to be going well. The mares all congratulated Raoul and Christine and wished them the best. The two young horses smiled constantly and refused to be separated, even for a moment. Christine laid her head on her love's powerful shoulder, and Raoul reached over to nuzzle her every few minutes.

Carlotta, who still hadn't recovered from her terror of the previous night, offered a stiff, "Well, good-bye, Christine. I wish you the best."

Christine's smile faltered in response to her chilly tone, but she replied, "Thank you, Carlotta."

The prima donna nodded stiffly and walked away. "She sure is jealous of your singing," observed one mare with a faint giggle. "Not that I blame her. You have an amazing voice, and she…well, she just croaks!"

Some of the others laughed at this, but Christine did not join them. The croaking had somehow been the work of the Phantom. Where was he now? How would he react when he found out that she had betrayed him by leaving?

She shook her head as if to clear it. She couldn't allow herself to think like that.

She suddenly realized that the other mare was speaking to her, and she hadn't heard a word. "I'm sorry, what?" she said.

"I asked if you would sing for us one last time, dear," replied the mare. "We're going to miss that voice of yours when you're gone."

Christine smiled faintly and nodded. She began to sing a soft, beautiful melody that seemed to contain all the love in the world. As she sang, she kept her gaze fixed on Raoul. _I'm singing for you_ , she thought as the notes poured from her. _I'm singing for you because I love you. Not because I have to, not because you demanded it of me. Because I love you._

Judging from the smile on Raoul's face, she could tell he understood.

And then there was a terrible shriek that ripped through the valley and echoed through the trees. Christine's voice faltered as everyone looked around to see a black horse charging into the clearing, heading straight for the beautiful young singer. His white face was hideously deformed, and his eyes were blazing with fury.

There was no time to react. Erik galloped up to the two young horses and had bowled Raoul over onto his side before the paint had fully registered what he was seeing. The other mares screamed, "It's the Phantom! The PHANTOM!" and Christine, her eyes wide with terror, shrank back. Erik darted around her and bit her roughly on the flank to get her moving, and with a cry of pain and fear she obeyed his orders.

Both she and the Phantom had vanished into the trees before anyone else had even moved. The entire kidnapping took place in less than thirty seconds.

Raoul was the first to react. Scrambling to his feet, he yelled, "Christine! CHRISTINE!"

At his shout, the mares around him began to panic, screaming and crying hysterically and asking one another what they should do, were they safe, what horrors awaited them next. Armand tried to calm them but was unable to even make himself heard above their cries of fright.

Raoul looked wildly around, unsure of what to do, where to go. He had to save Christine! But he had no idea where that monster had taken her. Christine had never told him the location of the Phantom's cave.

"Raoul," said a voice to his left, "come with me."

He looked around to see Giry a few feet away, eyes on him. He obeyed without a second thought and followed the lead mare at a trot away from the rest of the herd, to the edge of the clearing.

"I know where they are," the old mare said to him as they vanished into the woods.

"What? How?" Raoul demanded.

"When his mother abandoned him, I was the one who took him in," Giry explained. "It was I who found the cave he now calls home, and it is I who have protected him all these years. But now…" She hesitated. "He's going too far." She paused again. "I know that you love her, but if you are to rescue her, you must listen to me carefully and obey my instructions."

Raoul nodded, and Giry told him about the cave and its secret entrance. "But once you enter, you will lose the advantage. He has become adept at seeing in the dark, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's waiting for you. You must be careful, Raoul. As you have seen, he has no qualms with killing."

Raoul nodded, and Giry came to a halt. "I don't dare go any further," she said. "You're on your own now, Raoul. Good luck."

Raoul bowed his head once and then continued through the trees as Giry had instructed. In no time, he had found the great stone wall covered in vines, just as she'd described it. He stopped, his heart pounding painfully hard. His Christine was in there, guarded by a jealous monster that would surely try to kill him. He took a deep breath and stepped slowly forward, careful not to make any sound that might tip Erik off to his arrival.

He had reached the wall. Slowly, he pressed his nose forward until it had met with the vines and pushed them aside, revealing the dark cave mouth. This was it.

He stepped inside, and the vines settled back into place, cloaking him in complete darkness. For several moments, he just stood there, the blackness of the cave pressing on his eyes, his ears straining for any sound….

And then he heard the clatter of hooves on stone, and the next moment a large, powerful body had collided with him. He staggered backward out of the cave and into open air and only just managed to dodge Erik's next attack.

Then the disfigured stallion lunged, catching Raoul in the chest and making him collapse to the ground, looking up in terror at the hideous horse standing triumphantly over him.

"Well, well," he said, panting slightly. "It's nice to finally meet you, Raoul. Christine seems to think most highly of you."

"Erik, please!" Christine had also emerged from the cave and was on the verge of tears. "Please, don't hurt him! Leave him alone, Erik, please!"

"Silence!" Erik snapped, turning to her. "It is entirely your fault that he is in this situation. I told you that you are mine now, and I warned you to stay away from him." His eyes narrowed. "You have betrayed me, Christine."

"No…oh no…" Christine whimpered. "Please, Erik, please…I never wanted to hurt you…"

"Which is why you said you would leave me?" the Phantom demanded. "Yes, Christine, I heard your plans. I know how you feel about me. Your betrayal is of the worst kind." His voice lowered a little. "All I wanted was for you to be loyal. All I wanted was for a mare to stay with me and to love me, to stay by my side through even the darkest of times. Was it really too much to ask of you?"

Christine sobbed and lowered her head.

Erik snorted. "So…" A small, cruel smile twisted his lips. "I am going to give you a choice."

"A…a choice?" Christine repeated nervously.

"Yes," Erik replied. "A choice. Me or him. Who do you choose as your mate, Christine? Do you choose me, who has taught you and helped you for all this time, or this intruder, who would steal you away from me?"

Christine didn't answer right away. She could sense that Erik wasn't telling her something.

Erik chuckled. "I see. You're wondering what the consequences of your decision will be. Very wise of you. Here's my proposition." He tossed his ugly head and proclaimed, "Choose to be my mate, and I will let Raoul go unharmed. I will treat you like royalty and grant you anything you desire. But…if you deny me and choose this stallion…" He lifted one hoof and rested it atop Raoul's skull. "I will kill him."

This was met by silence. Raoul's heart began to beat twice as fast. Christine stared at the Phantom in shock and terror. "You…you would kill him?"

"If you do not choose me, then yes," Erik replied, still wearing that cruel smile. "Of course, whether he lives or dies is completely up to you, my dear."

Two tears spilled from Christine's eyes.

"Christine," Raoul said, "no, don't go with him! Don't agree to be his mate!"

"Raoul…oh Raoul…" Christine sobbed. "I can't lose you…"

"Death would be better than knowing you've been subjected to this monster!" Raoul replied.

Erik's eyes flashed in anger but he didn't respond. "The night isn't getting any younger, Christine," he said. "Make your choice."

"Why do this to her?" Raoul demanded of him. "Can't you see that you're breaking her heart? Show some compassion!"

"The world showed no compassion for me!" Erik shouted, leering down at his captive. Raoul winced as the horrible face filled his vision. "This face has driven away all hope of love and compassion in the world!"

"Erik, please!" Christine moaned.

"My patience grows thin, Christine," Erik said coldly. "Make you choice now, or I will go ahead and kill him anyway. Choose! Will it be me or him?"

"You!" Christine cried, and for a moment, Raoul thought she was cursing him. But then she sobbed and continued, "I choose you, Erik. I…I will be your mate."

Erik froze, momentarily stunned by her abrupt decision. Then he smiled, an expression that did nothing to soften the harsh features of his face.

"Let him go…please," Christine said, taking a cautious step toward him. "Please, Erik…let him go."

Erik paused for a moment, and Christine feared that he would go back on his word. But then he stepped back, allowing Raoul to rise to his feet. His face revealed the devastation he felt in his soul. "Christine…" he moaned. "No…"

Christine didn't look at him. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she turned away from him, walking up to the Phantom, who watched her blankly. "Thank you, Erik," she sighed, and she pressed her head into his chest. "Thank you so much." She began to nuzzle him. "I swear, Erik, I never wanted to hurt you, and I am grateful for all you've done for me. I'm sorry, Erik. I'm so sorry…"

She reached up and licked his cheek. She heard a sharp intake of breath from the Phantom, but he said nothing. Instead, he started to shake. Concerned, Christine stepped back and was shocked to see that Erik's face was contorted in grief. "Erik…?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, and she was stunned to see tears forming. "Go," he said quietly.

Christine blinked. "What?"

"Go," Erik repeated, his voice trembling slightly. "Both of you, just go. I know you love him, Christine, and that you will never feel the same for me. And more than anything, I want you to be happy. So…so join him and go. Leave me here, and be happy."

"Oh…oh Erik…" Christine sighed, reaching up to nuzzle him. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"To feel the touch of a mare…" Erik moaned. "Never before has a mare shown any kind of affection for me without being repulsed by my ugliness. Christine…oh Christine…"

Christine continued to nuzzle him for a while, tears leaking from her eyes again. At length, she drew back and said, "I will never forget you, Erik."

"Nor will I forget you," the Phantom replied. He then looked up at Raoul. "I hope you will forgive me for what I've done to you," he said to the paint.

Raoul smiled and nodded. "I do," he answered. "Thank you."

Erik nodded and then turned back to Christine. "Just promise me one thing, Christine. Promise me that you'll return and visit me once in a while. This cave…it gets very lonely, and it will be so quiet without your beautiful singing…"

Christine smiled. "We will, Erik," she said. "I promise."

Erik smiled at her, and in that moment, it was as if his face sported no deformity at all. "Now go, and be happy," he said.

Christine turned and walked over to Raoul, and the two of them left, pausing once to whinny their farewell to the Phantom. Then they were gone, and silence fell upon the valley.

…

Several months passed in peaceful bliss for the young couple, who took Erik's final command to heart and lived happily together in a small clearing not too far from the Phantom's cave. As promised, Christine did not forget her Angel of Music, and she sometimes would dwell on him for hours at a time.

One cool autumn day, they decided to make good on their promise to visit him. So they returned to the spot where the hidden cave stood. Christine pulled the vines back and called, "Erik? It's me!"

There was no answer. Christine frowned. "Erik? Erik!"

There was silence for a moment. And then a faint moan reached their ears.

"Erik!"

Christine darted into the cave, followed closely by Raoul. They found the Phantom lying on the cave floor, just barely visible in the scant light. His eyes were closed, and he was barely breathing. Christine let out an inarticulate cry, and the stallion's eyes flickered open. He smiled weakly. "Christine," he breathed. "You…you've returned."

"Yes, yes I have," Christine replied, settling on the stone ground beside him. "I promised I would, Erik."

"Oh my love…" Erik sighed, reaching up to nuzzle her. "I was so hoping I would see you before I die."

"No!" Christine cried, and her voice broke. "No, you're not going to die, Erik! You're gonna be okay!"

Erik chuckled, a sound that quickly turned into a cough. "No, Christine, I'm afraid it's not to be. I don't think I've got much longer."

Christine moaned, and a tear beaded up in the corner of her eye. "Don't blame yourself, Christine," the Phantom added. "This isn't your fault. It was never your fault."

"Oh Erik…" Christine nuzzled him. "You poor horse…life has been so unkind to you…"

"Yes," Erik agreed. "But I wasted so much time resenting everyone that I forgot what it meant to truly love. Until I heard you sing. Then…then I realized just how much I needed to hear your voice, and I did everything I could to make you excel. When Carlotta interrupted you that night…I thought I might go mad."

"How did you do that?" Raoul asked. "That thing with Carlotta's voice. It was you that made her croak, wasn't it?"

Erik chuckled and coughed again. "Yes, that was me. Simple. I knew she wouldn't be able to hit those high notes if she was afraid, so I just scared her. You know…" He coughed. "…I don't think I've heard her sing since that night, either."

Raoul laughed softly. "It was a brilliant trick."

"Thank you," Erik acknowledged. Then he looked up at Christine. "My love, have you been happy with him?"

Smiling, Christine nodded. "Yes, Erik. We are very happy together."

"Good," the deformed horse sighed, closing his eyes peacefully. "Christine…please sing for me. Sing for me one last time."

Christine's smile faded, but she did as she was told, allowing the notes to roll once more from her throat. Erik's mouth curved in a relieved and joyous smile, and he did not open his eyes.

And then his breathing slowed and came to a stop. The little smile on his disfigured face did not fade even in death.

Christine's voice faltered, and the tears she'd been holding back began to flow. She nuzzled the dead horse's face one last time before standing up and joining Raoul. The paint caressed her comfortingly and said, "Oh Christine…I'm so sorry."

She sniffed. "He's…he's at peace now," she whispered.

"Yes," Raoul agreed. "And he died in joy, listening to your voice. It was the kindest thing you could have ever done for him."

Christine smiled weakly and nodded. "Come on," she said. "We should go back to the herd and tell Giry."

Raoul agreed and led her out of the cave. She glanced back once at the dark form lying on the stone floor and whispered, "Good-bye, Erik, my Angel of Music."

And then she left the silent cave behind forever.

 **A/N: So…what did you think? I'm sorry, I'm usually not so pushy about getting reviews, but I would really appreciate some feedback on this one, since I hope to rewrite the whole thing. Here are some of the things I've considered and hope to do with the rewrite:**

 **1\. I want to stick closer to the book. This version, since it was meant to be so short, is kind of a condensed hybrid of the book and musical. I hope to be more faithful to Leroux's novel with the second version, keeping alive the suspense, mystery, and horror of the story while also enlivening the romance.**

 **2\. I will probably change the talent of interest from singing to dancing. It's a more natural thing for horses to "dance" than to sing, so I'll likely change this plot detail to make more sense within the world of the story.**

 **3\. I am considering – though not yet certain – changing the names of the characters to more, well…equine names. I'm still not sure at this point, but it is a possibility. Suggestions?**

 **4\. While the book will be written with kids in mind, I don't plan on drawing back from the more frightening elements of the story. The Phantom will still kill in order to win Christine's love. I will be vague in the descriptions of death, but the basic story – murders and all – will still be more or less intact.**

 **5\. Even though the characters are all horses, they don't always act as horses do in the wild. This is an intentional decision on my part, which I felt was necessary in order for the plot to work. Consider them something along the lines of Disney's animated animals.**

 **So that's "The Phantom of the Valley." Your thoughts? Any suggestions to make my full-length retelling the best it can be? Should I post it here on this website initially to get more feedback and then remove it when it's ready to be published? I'm interested to hear what you guys think. (Just please be courteous, that's all I ask. I don't mind if you didn't like the story, but don't be rude about it please.)**

 **Also, for those of you who follow my _How to Train Your Dragon_ works, I'm hoping to start a _Phantom_ retelling starring those characters fairly soon as well. So keep an eye out for that, if you're interested. **


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